The National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) in April 2019 for the first time added immune checkpoint inhibitors in the National Health Insurance reimbursement, including three oncology drugs capable of treating eight types of cancers and 11 indications. The NHIA initially earmarked NT$800 million to treat up to 800 patients with the requirement that efficacy assessments are carried out every three months after beginning immunotherapy. A strict set of reimbursement criteria stipulate that reimbursed regimens are provided only when patients see favorable responses.

In an interview, NHIA Deputy Director General Tsai Shu-ling said that immunotherapy has produced less than stellar results for some cancer types. As Taiwan is still prescribing immunotherapies based on an outdated list of known indications, an expert meeting is scheduled to be held no later than March to discuss and reevaluate the reimbursement criteria.

NHIA Director General Lee Po-chang said that the health impacts of late-stage cancers may have compromised the efficacy of immunotherapies of some patients. The upcoming expert meeting will focus on reviewing the reimbursement criteria and factors such as biomarkers, as well as exploring the option of administering immunotherapies in earlier stages of disease progression to maximize the benefits reaped from spending.

【2020-01-08 / CNA】